Education Commons^™

Retention Factors Of Rural East Texas Superintendents, William Z. Crawford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify factors that influence retention of school superintendents in rural Texas. Constant turnover in the position of superintendent has created inconsistent learning environments for students and unstable working environments for staff. Small, rural schools have often served as steppingstones for superintendents who use their experience in these small rural districts to obtain positions in larger, suburban schools. The researcher used semistructured interview questions to conduct this study. In this qualitative case study, participants were recruited from the educational service center of Region VII school districts in Texas. One group included superintendents …

Retention Rates And Pre-Matriculation Variables Of First-Time, Full-Time Students At Three, Small, Private, Liberal Arts Universities In Georgia, Bonnie Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this non-experimental, correlational, quantitative study was to provide an

in-depth understanding of the relationship between pre-matriculation variables on retention of first-year, full-time students from fall-to-fall semesters at three small, private, liberal arts institutions in the Southeast United States. The findings will help to determine the significance of the relationships between retention and pre-matriculation variables on first-year, full-time students who entered each institutions the fall 2017 and fall 2018 semesters.

Archival data at the participating institutions were used to test the significance of the relationships between retention rates and pre-matriculation variables (standardized test scores, high school GPAs, gender, …

First-Year Seminar And Its Impact On Retention At A Small Liberal Arts College In South Carolina, Michael A. Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

First-Year Seminar (FYS) courses have been the foundational building blocks for academic and nonacademic success for first-year college freshman since the late 1970s. With the focus on improving retention and persistence, FYS courses have been viewed as the resource that connects freshmen to the faculty, staff, student, and campus environment. Therefore, it is vital to see the impact that it has had on students and how it can further develop persistence through graduation. The researcher conducted this basic qualitative study to look for emerging themes of sophomore experience in the FYS courses and how that impacted their persistence and retention …

Experiences That Support Persistence And Retention Of Latinx First-Generation College Students (Fgcs) At Community Colleges, Veronica Rios

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this instrumental case study was to describe experiences of successful Latinx first-generation college students that support persistence and retention toward graduation for Latinx first-generation college students at California community colleges. The study was framed using Tinto’s retention theory. Successful Latinx first-generation college students were defined as those who have attained graduation from a California community college. This study focused on Latinx first-generation college students not persisting toward graduation at California community colleges, a situation that extends to the national level. This case study included nine Latinx first-generation college students, and the researcher collected data through virtual semistructured …

Retaining First-Generation And Pell-Eligible Students With A Near-Peer Coaching Intervention, Kacie Hutson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Retention has been a focus of universities and policy makers for decades. However, there is a gap in research of Pell-eligible and first-generation student retention and completion. Researchers have indicated that peers can influence retention of other students. Using the theories of Astin (1993) and Tinto (1993) as the framework, this study explored near-peer coaching effects on retention of Pell-eligible and first-generation students. The study focused on the College Possible Catalyze program which trains near-peer coaches for partnering institutions. near-peer coaches were assigned 120 first-time full-time Pell-eligible or first-generation students at two partnering institutions. The study compared the retention of …

Perceptions Of Teachers Of Color In Independent Schools: Factors Associated With Teacher Retention, Mary Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of faculty of color in K-12 independent schools in the United States with particular attention to either supportive or non-supportive factors in their work. This study was designed to explore strategies for school leaders to retain faculty of color. This study was composed of the interviews of 12 faculty of color working at independent schools. Although there has recently been more attention given to the need to diversify the student body in independent schools, these schools still face challenges in diversifying the faculty population.

The findings indicate …

Faculty Of Color Viewpoints Regarding Recruitment, Retention, And Academic Climate At Texas Community Colleges, Caitlin Alexa Graves

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The recruitment and retention of faculty of color is a critical issue within higher education institutions, however, the research is lacking within community colleges. Community colleges enroll over half of all non-White students in higher education, more than any other type of higher education institution; however, the faculty do not reflect the student population. Faculty of color face potential suppression, omission, isolation, and lack of belonging. This study illuminated faculty of color’s experience at community colleges and the culture at community college for these faculty. In this qualitative, interpretative phenomenological study, the researcher explored the viewpoints of faculty of color …

Persistence And Retention Strategies Implemented At Hbcus That Support Successful Degree Attainment Of African American Men, Fetera D. Henry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While minority students are enrolling in college at record numbers, their completion rate is significantly lower than their Caucasian peers. This gap is particularly evident among African American men. The purpose of this study was to identify and describe persistence and retention strategies implemented by HBCUs which support successful degree attainment of African American men. Framed by Tinto’s model of institutional departure, a descriptive instrumental case study design utilized data from semistructured online interviews and voluntarily submitted artifacts to explore the academic and social experiences of nine African American men who successfully completed a degree from an HBCU within the …

College Transition Experience: First Year Undergraduate Students And Self-Identified Mental Health Challenges, Kathlene R. Seymour

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Retention rates of college students has continued to be a large concern for those associated with higher education (Habley et al., 2004). A successful high school to college transition experience has been identified as a key factor in a student’s decision to remain in college and persist to graduation (Broglia, et al, 2016). Furthermore, more students with mental health challenges are entering higher education settings (Bewick, et al., 2008).

The intent of this study was to describe the college transition experience through the lens of the theoretical framework from Schlossberg’s (1984) transition theory. This theory provided a framework through which …